INVESTING IN YOURSELF

One of my sons has written "one month until Christmas" on our calendar for tomorrow. It made me smile and remember that now old fashioned saying of X number of shopping days left before Christmas.... that was before every day became a potential shopping day. Don't get me started on that!

So as you look back on 2008, how do you feel? What have you achieved? What is still left for you to do? What unexpected events did you have to cope with and how did these challenges help you to grow? What could have gone better? How would you handle these situations now if you could wind the clock back? Think of this as a learning exercise - there is always something to be gained from every experience, even if it seems like a negative one at the time. Remember the NLP presupposition I'm so fond of..... No failure, only feedback.

It will soon been New Year, with all that that entails, the traditional time for looking ahead and planning changes. Why not get in there early this year and start thinking now about what you want to get out of your life next year. What needs to happen for you to reach your goals?

Maybe you have old limiting beliefs getting in your way? NLP is a great way of tackling these. A Master Practitioner like myself could really help you look at why you believe a particular thing and examine the evidence supporting it. Often by doing this and really looking critically at why you think that way, an old belief will just melt away - to be replaced by a new, much more supportive one.

Getting support from a coach really makes a difference when it comes to making your desired changes. Why not put yourself at the top of your own list for once and treat yourself to some coaching sessions? You will be making an investment in your own future. I promise you you'll be very glad that you did.

TIME DISTORTION

It's been a busy couple of weeks for me but life is now beginning to settle down again. I am back from Birmingham having successfully completed my course and so am now a Master Practitioner of NLP. I'm also back in my GP surgery as well as keeping very busy with my coaching clients.

Whilst on the course we looked at Time Distortion and at the sub-modalities of fast and slow time. Let me explain......

Think about a time when you were really having fun, doing something you loved doing. Perhaps a favourite sport or hobby, or spending time with friends or family. I bet time just seemed to fly by didn't it? Now think about a time when you were worried, nervous or bored. How slowly did the time seem to pass then.....?

Try and really think yourself back into those experiences as if you were reliving them right now. Notice what the pictures look like, how big they are, what the colours are like, if they are bright or dim, blurry or focused. Notice the location of the image for you. Are there any sounds associated with time passing quickly, or any feelings? Do the same with a slow time event. There are no right or wrong answers, just take some time to notice what it means for you. With practice you can then adapt the qualities or sub-modalities of an experience to allow you to make it feel as if time is passing faster or more slowly then in reality.

You won't want to feel as if you've spent hours queueing at the bank but you might want other experiences to be enjoyed for longer. Try it. I used parts of this technique in the gym on Wednesday and an hour of cycling just flew by. I used one of the recumbant bikes whilst re-reading Richard Bandler's "Trance Formations." Reading allows me to concentrate solely on the area directly in front of me with total attention. I was vaguely aware of my surroundings but they were blurry. The first time I looked up, 48 minutes (and more importantly, 350 calories!) had passed. 

So next time it seems as if time is passing very fast or too slowly - think about what's happening and learn how to use it to your advantage. Have a great weekend.

WHAT STATE ARE YOU IN?

Much of NLP is based around learning to control your own state. That means much more than just the mood you are in, although that is a big part of it. It also includes how you are standing, moving, breathing, what expression you have on your face, as well as how you are feeling on the inside. Altering these things is under your control so choosing to do so in a way that positively affects your state is to be actively encouraged. 

We have been working not only on getting ourselves into great states but in inducing them in others. These can include many different states - from relaxed to energized, from resourceful to playful, from excited to calm and mellow etc.- you really do have a choice. Once induced, the states can be anchored - that is, connected to a physical stimulus, and then recreated at will. With practice they can be recreated very intensely indeed. We've been experimenting with this, whilst working with others both in and out of trance.

In addition we've been doing a lot of work around language patterns - truisms, presuppositions and the use of the Meta and Milton models. It has been a fantastic course so far. Three more days to go and loads more stuff still to explore.

NLP really has changed my life. If you are interested to learn how it could change yours too - drop me an email. When now would be a good time to do that?

HYPNOSIS

I'm now at the end of day 5 of my nine day Master Practitioner course and what a couple of days it's been since my last post.

Yesterday was devoted entirely to hypnosis and practising taking eachother into and out of trance. This was mind-blowing enough but was nothing compared to the Deep Trance Identification work we did in the afternoon - absolutely awesome. The consensus in the bar afterwards was that it would have been worth the course fee just for that - fantastic. I was the demonstration subject for this and quite honestly wouldn't have believed what happened if it hadn't have been happening to me....

The sheer buzz in the room was unbelievable, you really did need to be there to understand it. We're becoming very close as a group and that fact that there are only eight of us means we get pretty much individual attention from Mark, our trainer.

Today, we looked at decision making, beliefs and logical levels. Learning as always being re-inforced by trance phenomena throughout - amazing.

You'll also be glad to know that I've now got the geography of Birmingham well sorted and have learned to play Texas Hold 'em Poker. Not only that but I cleaned the others out..... before we got chucked out of the bar.... despite only playing for chips..."rules are rules I'm afraid'. Me thinks we should have seen the manager coming and done a pattern interrupt...... maybe next time!

HOW DO YOU DECIDE ?

Day three of my Master Practitioner course in Birmingham.

You'll be pleased to hear it's eventually stopped raining and I've sussed out the way to the gym..... without needing to resort to buying a map!

We concentrated today on strategies. Just how do you take a decision? What strategy do you use? Maybe you hadn't really thought about it before, it's not something that I'd spent much time on previously either. We looked at the seemingly simple example of how we had each chosen what to eat the previous day....... simple it was not!

It was amazing to discover the different strategies that we all used. The combinations of building mental pictures of the dishes, tasting them in our minds and talking to ourselves about them was fascinating. We looked in more detail at how the position of those pictures and the location of those voices affected how we felt about them.

Although it can vary in different situations, individuals tend to take decisions in one of a few ways that become familiar to them - their own strategies. Think back to a decision you've made recently. Try and think about how you made it. What steps did you go through to get there? How did you know that it was the right decision for you? Maybe you think that you just knew it had to be a certain way, but I bet if you allow yourself to, you'll discover many steps before then. 

So next time you decide something, remember, there's much more behind it than you thought. When now would be a good time to start to study it?

TAKE COURAGE

On Remembrance Sunday, a quote from a war hero seemed to be appropriate.
Winston Churchill once said, "Courage is the greatest of all virtues for on it, all others depend".

I'm up in Birmingham at the moment on a nine day residential course for my NLP Master Practitioner. It is a fantsatic experience and I have already learned so much.

We're a small group, just seven, soon to be eight and so we are all getting to know each other pretty well. The work is quite intense and experiential. Much of it is about learning new techniques and having the courage to apply them in different sitautions. The message is - just try it, see what happens. We are building our toolkits and learning how best to utilise our skills by practising on eachother. Oh, and we're having a great laugh too!

I have also learned how much it rains in Birmingham and how difficult it is to find your way around..... even armed with an internet print-out and a sat nav (which admittedly could do with it's software updating as it doesn't seem to recognise some of the tunnels). I've a horrible feeling I might have to resort to a map! So much for technology eh.....

I feel a small glow of pride as I tell you that I've crossed Birmingham each evening in torrential rain to go to the gym. It should have been about a 15 mile round trip but somehow last night I put 33 miles on the clock! Still, I was in no hurry. I'm in the priviledged position of being able to spend protected time doing something that I love and I intend to make the most of every second of it.

So, take courage and see what you can new thing you can try tomorrow, or even better tonight. What's the worst that can happen if it doesn't work out? Remember that NLP presupposition - there's no failure, only feedback. The more you try, the more you learn. More from Birmingham tomorrow.

NEVILLIZE YOUR GOALS !

This is a great technique based on the work and thinking of Neville Goddard (1905 to 1972). The term "Nevillizing" was used by Joe Vitale in his books "The Attractor factor" and "The Key".

It works like this.......

When working towards a goal, help to make it really vivid by imagining that you have already achieved it. Then describe how it feels in intimate detail to have or be the thing that you desire. Better still write it down.

For example, if your goal is to get a new convertible car, see yourself leaving your house and walking across your drive to it. The sun is glinting on it's beautiful sleek metallic paintwork. As you slide in you feels the sumptuous leather seat envelop you. As you turn on the engine you feel the powerful roar of the engine beneath you. You pull away effortlessly and glide through twisty country lanes with the gentle breeze in your hair....... sounds good eh? 

Try it for yourself. Put in as much detail as you can, really personalise it. What can you see, hear, feel, smell, touch even taste? I'm running a workshop today and I'll be using this technique with my group. Don't just read this and think - "oh yeah, sounds good, I'll have a go later". Give yourself 10 minutes right now to start creating your future. What are you waiting for?

THE END OF AN ERA FOR WATFORD

Yesterday saw the departure of Adrian Boothroyd as manager of Watford FC....
He's been our manager since March 2005 and during that time took the club to the Premiership by winning the play off final in Cardiff - a day that will live long in my memory. We also reached an FA Cup semi-final during that time. Sadly recently, results have not gone our way. It seems to be the way these days that clubs are expected to win all the time. He was always conscious of the need to do this though and once said "yesterday's goals don't win tomorrow's matches."

Aidy, like myself is a big fan of NLP and famously used many of the techniques on the players. He led them on a walk across hot coals in his first year in the job. His motivational techniques were legendary for getting the best out of people. He wore his heart on his sleeve during interviews and the fans loved him for his honesty and passion.

As well as all of that, he was a thoroughly nice bloke. I met him after the Charlton match in the premiership season. We started that game really well and raced into a 2 - 0 lead, unfortunately it finished in a 2 - 2 draw. Despite this, when I met him in the changing room after the game, he remained upbeat and dignified. He was always positive and looking to learn from every situation.
He was kind enough to sign the photograph later on and I have it on the wall of my consulting room.

For me, he is an inspirational figure and one I am proud to have met. I regret the fact that he has gone from the club - for me it was not the right decision......

So Aidy, thanks for 3 great years and good luck in your future career. This Watford fan has learned a lot from you during your time at the club.